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6 Dec 2005 : Column 1092W—continued
Water Supplies
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce a requirement on water companies to submit an application for water scarcity status before seeking permission for any new reservoir capacity. [33665]
Mr. Morley: The Government expects any water company proposing a major new water resources development, such as a reservoir, to have fully investigated the opportunities for enhanced levels of demand management. Enhanced levels of metering is one of the measures that should be considered.
The legislation governing application for designation as an Area of Water Scarcity are The Water Industry (Prescribed Conditions) Regulations 1999. Under this legislation when determining an application the Secretary of State must have regard to, among other considerations, the water resources which are or could be made available for meeting demand in an area over the period-of 10 years following an application. This would include reservoir capacity.
One of the projects the recently formed Water Saving Group will be doing is to encourage companies to better use the current powers they have for promoting metering and develop and take forward options for increasing the particular circumstances in which companies have the discretion to meter, particularly in water stressed areas. The Group will also consider the lessons learnt from a review of the current application for area of water scarcity status and encourage further applications for area of water scarcity status in water stressed areas as well as looking at ways of simplifying the application process.
Wild Fowl
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2005, Official Report, column 1383W, on wild fowl, what estimate she has made of the total number of mallard released on National Gamebag Census shooting estates in each of the last five years. [33745]
Jim Knight: The Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs has not made any such assessment of the total number of mallard released on National Gamebag Census shooting estates in each of the last five years, but figures provided to the Game Conservancy Trust suggest that on average 34,988 mallard are released each year on shooting estates.
The actual figures taken from the National Game Census on a yearly basis are as follows:
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| Total number of Mallard released | |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 39,614 |
| 2001 | 36,313 |
| 2002 | 25,521 |
| 2003 | 33,734 |
| 2004 | 39,761 |
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
International Convention Against Doping In Sport
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the UK will ratify the international convention against doping in sport recently adopted by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation; and if she will make a statement. [34721]
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Mr. Caborn: It is the Government's intention to become party to the convention as soon as the necessary parliamentary procedures have been completed. However, until we receive an authenticated copy from UNESCO of the adopted convention, we are unable at this time to give a precise date for when the UK expects to ratify the convention.
Consultants/Special Advisers
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) consultants and (b) special advisers were employed by her Department in each year since 1997; what the cost of each was in each year; and if she will make a statement. [27420]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested is as follows.
(a) Detailed records of contracts are not retained for the years 1997 and 1998. In the year 1997 the cost of consultants was £309,000 and in 1998 it was £728,000.
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Outside legal firms employed by DCMS have not been included in the list.
(b) Since 2003, the Government has published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band. For the most recent information I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 21 July 2005, Official Report, 158–62WS.
Information on the numbers of special advisers prior to 2003 was provided at regular intervals and this information will be available in the Libraries of both Houses.
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